Our Favorite Horror Books & Stories to Read on Halloween
- Kaleigh Johnson
- Oct 31
- 8 min read
There’s something special about Halloween reading. A flickering candle, a cool October night, and the right story can turn the ordinary into something unforgettable. Some tales creep in quietly, others jump out at you, but all of them capture the strange beauty of fear. We’ve dropped the horror stories and books we’ve reached for over the years below so you can have a frightful night to remember.
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Our Editor’s Top Picks
I’ll be honest; some of my favorite “horror” stories aren’t technically categorized as horror. Some lean more toward gothic literature, while others are more supernatural or murderous, but don’t worry! I promise that they’re still perfect for a spooky reading night and will send a chill up your spine.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
This short story by prolific author Shirley Jackson is what I consider to be my first real introduction to unsettling, macabre stories. It was introduced to me by my favorite English teacher in middle school, and I re-read it at least once a year.
Set in a small, seemingly ordinary town, “The Lottery” unfolds around the community’s annual “lottery,” an event that starts off with an almost festive air and ends in shocking brutality. Jackson masterfully peels back the veneer of normalcy to reveal the dark undercurrents of tradition and conformity. It will probably end with you asking yourself, “How well do I really know my neighbor?”
“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
This is another short story that was introduced to me by my favorite teacher. I vividly remember the shock I felt at its conclusion and I always recommend it as a quick, hair-raising read.
“The Monkey’s Paw” is a classic tale of suspense that proves the old saying: be careful what you wish for. When a mysterious visitor brings the cursed paw into the White family’s cozy home, it promises to grant three wishes—but at a terrible cost. What begins as simple curiosity quickly turns into dread as each wish twists fate in horrifying ways. Jacobs’s story is the perfect blend of domestic comfort and creeping terror, reminding readers that sometimes the scariest thing of all is getting exactly what you asked for.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
I know, I know—this is kind of a cliché pick, but you can’t talk about scary stories without bringing up Edgar Allan Poe. He is my absolute favorite classic writer, so I had a hard time choosing between his works. However, I recently saw a live version of this short story in Raleigh at a pop-up speakeasy event, and the actor was so amazing that I felt like I was hearing it for the first time again.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” is a masterpiece of madness and guilt that proves you don’t need jump scares to feel true horror. Told by an unnamed, unreliable narrator who insists on their sanity, the story chronicles a chilling murder driven by obsession and the steady unraveling that follows. As the narrator’s paranoia grows, so does the rhythmic, haunting sound of a beating heart that just won’t stop. Poe’s tale is claustrophobic, anxiety-inducing, and utterly unforgettable.
“The Screaming Woman” by Ray Bradbury
Even if you haven’t read this one, you may have watched a short film adaptation (skip ahead to 3:35 to watch it) starring a young Drew Barrymore. I lived in a rural area surrounded by woods and farmland when I first came across this, so believe me when I say it left me questioning every animal sound I heard in the middle of the night.
“The Screaming Woman” is a gripping suburban nightmare told through the eyes of a young girl who makes a terrifying discovery: a woman buried alive in an empty lot, her screams muffled beneath the earth. No one believes her, and that disbelief becomes just as frightening as the situation itself. Bradbury blends innocence and horror with masterful tension, turning a quiet neighborhood into the setting for a desperate race against time. It’s eerie, emotional, and the perfect reminder that sometimes children see the truths adults refuse to face.
Out There Screaming Edited by Jordan Peele and John Joseph Adams
I’m a huge fan of Jordan Peele’s horror movies, so I was very excited to read this anthology when it hit the shelves. If you love his work, pick this up immediately!
Out There Screaming is a powerhouse anthology that redefines what horror can be. Featuring stories from some of today’s most talented Black writers, the collection explores fear through lenses like folklore, futuristic nightmares, haunted histories, and everyday terrors that cut close to the bone. Each tale carries its own brand of unease by confronting racism, identity, and the supernatural with sharp insight and an unforgettable voice.
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez
I picked up this collection of short stories earlier this year on a trip to Puerto Rico. It usually takes me some time to finish books, but I read the last story before my plane even landed at RDU. Honestly, it contains some of the most refreshing pieces of horror and supernatural writing I have read in a long time, and I cannot recommend it enough.
A Sunny Place for Shady People is a haunting, hypnotic collection that blurs the line between the ordinary and the macabre. Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s cities and streets, these stories explore darkness in its many forms, including ghosts that linger, violence that festers, and desires that refuse to die. Enríquez writes with equal parts grit and beauty, crafting horror that feels unsettlingly human. This collection is about the shadows we carry with us, even under the brightest sun.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
This is a novel I grabbed on a whim one October when I was in a reading slump. I’m not usually one for historical fiction, but I was instantly sucked into the story.
The Hacienda is an atmospheric gothic novel that blends romance, horror, and historical intrigue. Set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, it follows Beatriz, a woman who believes she’s found safety and stability in a new marriage, until she moves into her husband’s estate and realizes something is terribly wrong. Whispers in the dark, ghostly presences, forbidden desires, and a haunted house with a will of its own make this story pulse with dread.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Okay, not all of the works in this collection count as horror, but any woman who has experienced the situations described in them will be left with palpable, lingering feelings of dread and unease (and maybe a healthy dose of rage). If you’re open to something more emotional, this is a great read.
Her Body and Other Parties is a spellbinding collection that fuses horror, fantasy, and feminist insight into something wholly original. Each story explores the body—its power, its vulnerability, its mysteries—with sharp wit and unsettling beauty. From a reimagined urban legend to a surreal retelling of Law & Order: SVU, Machado’s prose is both lyrical and devastating, peeling back layers of womanhood, desire, and fear. It’s eerie, intimate, and impossible to forget.
Our Contributor’s Top Picks
“Hello Flesh” by Samantha Dunaway Bryant
As a newbie to this genre I wasn't sure what to expect or whether I could stomach it. It turns out I chose the perfect amuse bouche in Dunaway Bryant 's satirical take on cannibals ordering from a delivery service.
The dialogue with customer service is hilarious and witty. If you enjoy this story as much as I do, be sure to head over and read our exclusive interview with her and attend some of her upcoming events in and around the Triangle.
“Wait for Night” by Stephen Graham Jones
“Wait for Night” is a vampire story with a slow reveal. The story opens in rural Colorado at a construction site when one worker finds skeletal remains in the roots of a downed tree.
A cagey colleague of his who always seems to have his face covered shows his dark truth by moonlight. When a cop car pulls up things get real dicey, real fast. What the gradual build up lacks in tension at the opening, it over delivers at the end.
“Sisters” by Soren Narnia
Narnia captivates seamlessly in this twisted narrative about an isolated convent where the nuns are suddenly all afflicted by a strange ailment after taking in an abandoned fawn. In the midst of a snowstorm, Julien Serrault, the innkeeper who delivers produce to the convent, worries for their health and after a lone traveler gives a report of their declining condition, he vouches to go see for himself the next day.
Don’t let the idyllic French alpine winter backdrop deceive; Serrault is terrified by what he finds when he goes to check on the sisters and he will never be the same. Read on to discover the horrors housed in Briancon, France in January of 1882. Trust me, you won’t believe your eyes.
“You Were Once Wild Here” by Carlie St. George
Emily and her parents don’t stay long in one town. They have a rather odd occupation that precludes Emily making friends. She knows when she meets Laura that a cruel end awaits her.
Teenage werewolves, witches, and monsters feature prominently in this piece that’s almost a coming of age horror bildungsroman. St. George is adept at dialogue and inner monologue, with a rapidly moving plotline and deep interiority for our protagonist, Emily.
“Sole Survivor” by Robert Creekmore
Creekmore’s piece earned an honorable mention for this year’s Killer Short Prize and it’s clear why. ‘Sole Survivor’ follows a foot fetish taken to dangerous extremes. Follow Hugh Albertson as he goes off the deep end.
Set in North Carolina, we as readers get to know a few small town cemeteries in our state. Maybe that’s a perk for you? A suspenseful read with a surprising end will keep you entertained. I know that I for one will never look at light pink nail polish again. I appreciated the strong female antagonist and sharp turn Creekmore built into this narrative at the end. ‘Sole Survivor’ is a wild ride that you don’t want to miss. You’ve been warned! (CW: gore, incest)
“Flies” by Bernardo Esquinca
Flies was translated from the original Spanish text and is written in short vignettes from the perspective of a bachelor who is recording audio tapes as a sort of confessional for his psychotherapist. In his confession, the anonymous Patient X details his obsession with Flies and the nearly erotic sense of satisfaction he gets from exterminating them.
X tells his therapist that he has tried to connect to colleagues and neighbors via his strange fly-swatting hobby, to little avail. When he receives an unexpected diagnosis from his cardiologist, Patient X decides he has other plans.
“The Feather Pillow” by Horacio Quiroga
Newlyweds Alicia and Jordan are perplexed when she is suddenly ill and doctors are unable to help her or identify the cause. She begins to have hallucinations and in her declining health cannot leave her bed.
Jordan is at a loss and paces the carpet in his distress. Will he discover the culprit for his wife’s condition in time to save her?
“Horror Story” by Carmen Maria Machado
Like Kaleigh, I appreciate a good Machado story, and this piece caught my attention. The action starts off small with spices going missing or unexplained noises in a couple’s home. When things escalate, they enlist help at eradicating the source of their unrest.
A string of people do their best, naturally to no avail. The couple combs through records and discovers some gruesome truths about the past within their four walls. Will they ever be free of the force in their house?
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